


Deer In The Headlights

by InnocentDumpling



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Blind Date, F/M, First Kiss, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Idiots in Love, Love Confessions, Post War, Romantic Comedy, ShikaTema Week 2020, Slice of Life, Unresolved Romantic Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-26
Updated: 2020-06-26
Packaged: 2021-03-04 01:27:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,471
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24935272
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InnocentDumpling/pseuds/InnocentDumpling
Summary: Ino and Kankuro team up to cause some havoc by setting Temari and Shikamaru up on a blind date with each other. Little did they know that there were a lot of words left unspoken since they went wedding present shopping for Naruto’s wedding. [AU / Canon Divergence] [ShikaTema]ShikaTema Week 2020 - Day 3, Prompt - Blind Date.
Relationships: Nara Shikamaru/Temari
Comments: 22
Kudos: 46
Collections: Innocent Dumpling's Naruto Collection





	Deer In The Headlights

The warmth of the summer sun glides across Shikamaru’s cheeks, his nose twitching gently from his reclined position on the bench, forearm draped across his eyes. Another day, another restaurant with Chouji and Ino; thankfully this time they had opted to sit outside, so he could at least enjoy some fresh air. He didn’t ask to be here, he never did but their company was always welcomed.  
  
Lips twisting, the kunoichi raises a brow, irritation consuming her as she observed her lazy teammate from the opposite side of the table. “I’ve had it!” Ino exclaims, hands slamming down on the table as she rose to her feet. Bright eyes narrow as she looks down at her comrade.  
  
“What now?” Shikamaru sighs, body unmoving as he responded on impulse; “I’ve just lay here breathing.” His tongue traces across his dry lips, subconsciously body aching for his next hit. _How long has it been? Maybe two hours?  
  
_She twitches in irritation, _Does he not realise how rude he is being right now?_ Ino takes a deep breath and leans across the table, jabbing his arm shielding his face roughly. “Exactly! You’re just lazing around or smoking all day long whenever you have a day off,” she notes crossly, “I thought you were past this?”  
  
_Here we go,_ Shikamaru muses, groaning inwardly. “It sounds like a reasonable, not to mention wise use of my time,” he replies simply as he sits upright, an amused expression gripping his lips. _Why wouldn’t I want to enjoy my days off the way I see fit?  
  
_It always felt as if he was fighting a losing battle as soon as Ino took up arms. It didn’t even matter if logic was on her side or not, she was armed with determination that was unphased by next to nothing and it wore him down. “Besides, you’re not my mother,” he states flatly, the final blow that always caused his childhood friend to erupt into a blind rage. It was too easy to push her buttons sometimes.  
  
“Thank God for that!” Ino fires back hotly, brows furrowed as she huffs. “Poor Yoshino! Having such a frustrating son like you. She has the patience of a priestess,” she retorts as she drops back into her seat glancing across at Chouji; “You can’t say I’m the only one that thinks this? If I had a dismissive son I’d be livid.”  
  
“The scariest priestess I’ve ever fucking heard of,” Shikamaru fires back, eyes lit with horror as he eyes the blonde. _As if my mother could ever pass as a woman of the cloth. Ino has witnessed first-hand how violent she can be,_ he muses to himself.  
  
Chouji freezes, irises darting from Ino to Shikamaru and back again. “Is this a trick question?” he asks with a mouthful of chicken, hand lowering down to his plate as his fingers tightening around the drumstick; “Because I don’t see a correct answer here.”  
  
There was no way Chouji was picking sides to further fuel their argument, that would just spoil his appetite. Shrugging he reached into the centre of the table, seizing a chunk of corn on the cob; “I will say that you seem to be smoking way more these days. What’s the deal with that anyway?”  
  
Shikamaru flicks his legs over the bench, facing his comrades head-on. “Why does it even matter?” he states simply, dark eyes flicking to Chouji as he stuffed his face, silently listening as he chewed away at his lunch. _I don’t owe anyone an explanation, not like I have one anyway,_ the strategist muses as he absentmindedly reaches for another cigarette; _I’ll light up just to spite you. How about that?  
  
_The blonde winces as she watches her teammate press a death stick between his lips, reaching for his lighter as he averts his gaze. Without even thinking she lunges forward, swiping it from him as she shot him a tense gaze; _Can’t you last another hour or so? Sheesh._ “That aside, I’ve taken it upon myself to rectify your bleak plans for this evening,” she announced proudly, puffing out her chest in triumph as her brows wiggled animatedly; “You’re welcome.”  
  
“You say that like I’m actually going to go along with whatever this little scheme of yours is,” the strategist states flatly, forearms gliding across the table in defeat. _That was the last cigarette I have on me. Women can be so cruel,_ he muses to himself, eyes narrowing as he looks up at the domineering woman before him. _I’ll never marry a pushy woman.  
  
_Chouji snickers to himself, as he raises a brow. “That’s because you will,” he interjects, eyes glimmering with amusement as he watched his friend with great interest; he never said no to her when it was something that had little to no importance to him. Besides, she always has a hook, something to ensure he would participate with little to no fuss as far as he was concerned. He’d seen it time and time again.  
  
Ino smirks proudly, lifting her chin a fraction as she crossed her arms under her bust. “You have nothing better to do anyway,” she states obnoxiously as she eyes Shikamaru; “It’s a blind date with a foreign Kunoichi. You can’t say that’s not a little intriguing.” As far as she could recall he was yet to even attempt a date in any sense, perhaps it was a lack of interest in the local kunoichi or dating in general. Regardless, it needed to change. Someone had to push his lazy rear in the right direction.  
  
Shikamaru half laughs, a balled fist lifting to his lips until he noted the look of determination in Ino’s gaze; silently expecting him to express his thanks for her unwarranted deed. Sighing heavily the strategist straightens his posture, eyes narrowing a fraction _. I can think of plenty of better things to do with my time and that hardly sounds interesting,_ he muses silently. “Yeah, I’ll pass,” he responds dismissively, shrugging his shoulders.  
  
“Told you!” Chouji laughs loudly, spraying little fragments of chicken and corn in Ino’s direction; “There was no way that he was going to say yes to that.” He freezes, eyes scanning Ino’s visage as she shot him a glare and proceeded to wipe her hands with a napkin. “Sorry,” he mumbles knowingly, a hand raised over his lips as he reached for his water; _I know, I know. Say it don’t spray it.  
  
_Scoffing loudly in amusement, Shikamaru leans forward plucking a few chunks of food out of Ino’s thick golden tresses. She had good intentions, that was always the case. But that didn’t mean he was ready to start dating strangers, the traditional approach suited him best. “Look it’s just not something I’m interested in,” he explains softly, his eyes searching hers for a brief moment before sitting down once more; “I’m in no rush to find someone.” _Besides if it’s not with her I’m not interested, he muses to himself.  
  
_“You say that like you have a choice?” Ino states flatly, placing the confiscated cigarette on the table and proceeding to trace her fingertips through her hair, a silent effort to comb out the remaining food fragments. It was always easier said than done to get him to agree to anything.  
  
“You actually know her, I hear she had a little thing for you too,” Ino notes, reluctantly flicking her gaze in his direction as she points a finger at him; “Oh and don’t even think that I haven’t told your mother about this.” I’m not a fool, I know that she’s the trump card in situations like this. _I’m not just a pretty face.  
  
_“You’re playing with forces beyond your understanding,” Shikamaru states warningly. A sigh rolls from his lips as he reaches forward, seizing the cigarette, his free hand scooping out his lighter and lighting the flute of narcotics in a swift movement as he lifted it to his lips, inhaling at last. Shoulders roll backwards as he exhales, dragging the hit from his lips; _I do need to look to lower my intake or I’m going to look like an addict at this rate. Perhaps a distraction wouldn’t be the worst thing.  
  
_There he was again, trying to get a rise out of her; but he wouldn’t dare underestimate her. Not after what he’d witnessed over the years. “Pft! Watching you wriggle like a worm on a hook every time she harasses you about marriage is an absolute delight,” the botanist notes gleefully a triumphant smile plastered across her pretty face as she wriggled her brows tauntingly. _You better thank me later buddy.  
  
_“Of course you enjoy it, you instigate it half the time by going on and on about Sai” he states with a grimace, planting an elbow firmly on the table as he presses his cigarette up against his lips and inhaling for a brief moment.  
  
They hadn’t been together all that long, three and a half months in total. But she knew what she wanted, and it was him. Just how she managed without his carefree passing comments and constant streams of adoration was beyond her at this point. “How could I not? Have you seen my handsome boyfriend?” she retorts enthusiastically, jumping at the chance to discuss the topic at hand; “It would be a sin if I didn’t!”  
  
“Next topic or I’m going home,” Shikamaru states flatly. Fingertips rap on the table as he glances across at Chouji for moral support, his gaze instantly being met by the sight of him discreetly stealing food off Ino’s plate. _Insatiable as always,_ he muses with a kind smile.  
  
Frowning Ino followed his gaze to see Chouji trying to steal her meal. Sighing heavily, she picks up her chopsticks and seizes a potato. “So rude! Be at the barbeque restaurant in the centre of town at six o’clock on the dot, booking is under your family name,” she states firmly, lifting the potato into her lips and pausing; “You better be there!”  
  
“I’ll see how I’m feeling,” Shikamaru teases, knowing full well he had no choice in the matter at this point. She had won this round, there was no point pressing it further. He wasn’t the type to stand a woman up.  
  
Ino points her empty chopsticks rudely in his direction. “Shikamaru! If you bail on her, there will be guys out for your blood,” she warns; “I wish I was joking!” _A woman’s heart is not a toy for someone to mess around with,_ she notes irritably.  
  
“I’ll go, but only this once so you will get off my back,” He fights back, smirking as he noted her failure to acknowledge his poor attempt at humour. _Why do women all take romance so seriously?_ He muses tiresomely, the whole topic was a total drag.

* * *

Temari twists her lips as she leans forward to gaze at her brother unsurely. He had been acting suspiciously since they left Suna, but despite her constant digging, she was still unsure of the cause. At first, she assumed he was just following the instructions Gaara gave them; to have a meeting with Kakashi regarding sensitive intel regarding a missing-nin from their village.  
  
But strangely, the meeting had been pushed back to the following morning, leaving the siblings to wander through the dimly lit streets in search of a cuisine he disliked. It was beyond peculiar. “Why on earth are you suddenly wanting this for dinner anyway? You have always hated barbeque restaurants,” She enquires, eyes narrowing as she scans his face unsurely. _I can read you like a book you big oaf.  
  
_“But you enjoy it. I’m trying to broaden my tastes,” Kankuro answers without hesitation, shooting his sister a toothy grin as they approached the restaurant in question. His alliance with Ino to bring the troublesome pair together had taken time, Temari was not easily swayed into lengthy trips particularly to Konoha in recent months.  
  
Gaara’s request had come at an opportune time. All it took was one letter to Konohagakure to update Ino and their plan was set into motion. Under no circumstance was she to know what was about to unfold. Knowledge of their plan would be a sure-fire method to secure a one-way trip to the afterlife. Kankuro shivers, _Nothing good could come of it.  
  
_“Since when?” Temari laughs half-heartedly in response, a brow arching upward quizzically; “You stated that it was, and I quote, ‘the epitome of culinary capitalisation’ last time we had barbeque.” Spontaneously seeking to be open to change in such a manner was about as ‘in character’ of him as it would be for her to gush about her love life. He was up to something, plain and simple. _I am not a fool,_ she muses irritably, eyes narrowing; _What are you up to little brother?  
  
_Temari’s gaze seers into him; she could sense the lie from a mile off. He pauses, eyes flicking forward as he stretched his arms up in the air, releasing a well-rehearsed yawn. It was a strategic move to buy himself some time to gather his thoughts before responding to his perceptive sibling. “Look, I cannot be held accountable for what I say while drinking,” the puppeteer responds dismissively, an amused expression printed across his face as he glanced across at her; “Besides I don’t see the point of paying to cook your own food. It’s a ploy!”  
  
“So explain to me again, why are we eating here then?” She pries, gaze drifting forward as what she could only assume was the restaurant in question came into view. _I smell a rat,_ Temari notes silently, fingertips gliding past her skirt as she walks onward begrudgingly. Did he take her for a fool or did he honestly think he had gotten away with his little ruse? _How quaint._ His fall from grace would be all the sweeter. For now, she would humour him. _How horrid can his little scheme be?  
  
_Kankuro smiles confidently, hands slipping into the cosy depth of his pockets. “We are having dinner with an old friend of ours,” he explains simply, heart rate increasing as they approached the front door of the establishment. _I mean, technically that’s not a complete lie.  
  
_“Oh! That’s unusual,” Temari notes bluntly as she slips behind him, mentally shooting daggers at the back of his head. _Liar!_ _No one ever asks us to catch up unless we run into them during our stay,_ she argues mentally, lips contorting as she exhales heavily in an attempt to contain her irritation at her sibling’s dishonesty.  
  
_Shit! I should’ve said something else. She didn’t buy that at all!_ He panics silently, alarm bells ringing in his mind as he looks over his shoulder at the disgruntled blonde, she was very close to losing it based on her current expression. Rushing inside the restaurant, the puppeteer approaches the concierge. “We have a booking for a table for two for Nara,” he whispers quickly, looking back over his shoulder with a cheesy grin. _Thank god she’s still dragging her feet, or she would’ve overheard that knowing my luck.  
  
_“You’re at booth number ten,” the concierge responds kindly, leading them both through the lively restaurant and gesturing to the booth in question, placing two menus' on the table before walking away.  
  
Kankuro slips onto the bench closest to the door, a sigh of complete relief escaping him as he watched his unwitting sister slip onto the bench opposite him. _I made it. I survived. Now to escape in one piece.  
  
_Temari clicks her tongue in annoyance as she examines the table carefully. _Two of everything,_ she muses silently, brows pinching together as her irritation slowly increases. _There was no way he would be that stupid, right? Surely not.  
  
_Grinning Kankuro rises to his feet, pressing his palms flat down on the tabletop. “Enjoy your blind date Sis! Gotta run!” He states boldly, eyes scanning hers for a brief moment before dashing from her side at full speed towards the second set of doors at the back of the restaurant. _Success! I’m not attempting this ever again. I might have post-traumatic Temari disorder!_ The outcome was all that mattered from here on out and hopefully, in this instance it resulted in his beloved sister being pushed towards a personal path of happiness.  
  
Now he’d gone and done it. “You have got to be fucking kidding me!” Temari snarls as she scrambles from her seat, fist clenched as turns and stomps her shoes against the tiles. “That’s what this was? I don’t need your help!” she howls at her sibling as he sprints out of sight, nearly knocking over a waiter in the process. _Do I look so pathetic that I need to be set up?  
  
_A chatter of plates and voices echo through the small bustling restaurant as Shikamaru brushes past a waiter, making his way towards the table he had been told was reserved on his behalf. _How did it even come to this?_ Agreeing to go on a blind date with not even so much as the name of the other person. It was ludicrous, but Ino left him with little to no choice in the matter.  
  
His feet stop just short of the table in question, stunned like a deer caught in headlights. Eyes widening as he watched Kankuro rise from the table, flashing him a toothy grin as he turned tail and ran for the exit at the far end of the restaurant. A familiar blonde rises to her feet and hurls insults at him as he flees the scene at full speed.  
  
Of all the scenarios he had concocted in his head this was the most unlikely. _Have Kankuro and Ino teamed up?_ There was a combination he hadn’t expected. A troublesome pair without a doubt. “Wait. It’s you?” He blurts out automatically, shock getting the best of him as he presses onwards, closing the gap between him and the kunoichi in an instant.  
  
Temari freezes dead in her tracks, holding back the additional onslaught of insults she wanted to fire at her manipulative little brother as Shikamaru calls out to her. Were her feelings for him that blatantly obvious? “I think there’s been a mistake,” she notes, cheeks ablaze as she turned to face the handsome strategist mere inches separating them, his startled gaze peering down at her; “Or were you part of this whole thing?”  
  
“Well, I knew I had a date. That’s all,” Shikamaru professes, tracing his hand across his slickly pulled back hair; unsettled by the sudden turn of events. Of all the kunoichi Ino had the balls to set him up with, it was her. It was surprising she hadn’t stormed out already given what had transpired last time they faced each other. This had to be the last thing she wished for.  
  
Sighing, Shikamaru slips onto the closest bench at the table, eyes darting up in her direction as he gestured to the space opposite him. “We might as well grab something to eat since we are both here,” he notes earnestly, chest tightening as he peered up at the somewhat flustered kunoichi. _It’s your move now, what will you do?  
  
_His suggestion wasn’t outrageous. After all, they were friends first and foremost. There was no reason to oppose such a suggestion, despite the circumstances surrounding it. “Fine. I am hungry, so I guess I might as well sit with you,” Temari concedes, diverting her gaze as she plonked her rear down on the bench opposite his. _What the heck is happening? I’ve barely had a moment to process any of this.  
  
_Palms trace across the table as she reaches for a menu and lifted it, covering the lower half of her face as she tried to calm the flutter of anxiety brewing in her chest. “B-But this is not a date!” she blurts out, stuttering a little as the words spilt from her lips.  
  
Smiling Shikamaru plants an elbow on the table, slipping his chin into his palm in one smooth movement, observing her actively attempting to conceal her unsettled state. “No, it is a blind date,” he quips playfully, a hand slipping across the table and proceeding to slide the remaining menu towards him. _Hmm, interesting response.  
  
_“S-Stop saying that it’s a date!” Temari barks, as she lowered the menu; her face flushing as she leaned forward. _Oh my god, someone stop me from speaking,_ she muses to herself as she huffs irritably. _How can he joke about it so carelessly after not following through?  
  
_“It is what it is,” the strategist states with a sigh, shoulders shrugging as his dark eyes drifted down the menu aimlessly; food was the last thing on his mind right now. Nicotine, that was where it was at. “We never got to have that date I promised you a while back. Maybe think of this as me following through on that if that makes you more comfortable,” he suggests, his hands slipping into his pockets reaching for his cigarettes and lighter without a second thought.  
  
Perhaps it was foolish to bring up the topic he desperately wanted to avoid like the plague, but how was that an effective strategy with such a domineering woman? No, she was going to give him an earful if he danced around the topic all evening.  
  
“I guess that works, but you’re paying since you asked me out that time,” she states matter-of-factly as she buried her face behind the menu once more. _Fuck! I didn’t want to say that!_ She curses silently. _I panicked! Why am I like this around him?  
  
_“I can agree to that,” Shikamaru replies diplomatically, lifting a cigarette to his lips and flicking his lighter open; itching for the comfort he had grown accustomed to in times of anxiety. “Just order double of whatever you want. I’m not fussed,” he adds, proceeding to squish the cigarette between his lips, the flame of his lighter flickering before his eyes as it drew closer to him.  
  
A waiter rushes over to the table, bowing respectfully. “I’m so sorry, we have a no smoking policy in place now!” he explains, gesturing to a small sign on the opposite end of the table before walking off.  
  
“Since when?” Shikamaru grumbles under his breath, slamming his unlit cigarette and lighter down on the table with a frown. There was no doubt about it, Ino was calculated enough to have planted him in this situation knowing smoking was forbidden. She certainly wasn’t to be underestimated. She had not only cornered him into going on a date and taken away his only coping mechanism in one fell swoop. _If this was a game of shogi, she would have locked me in checkmate without a doubt. Well played Yamanaka.  
  
_Sensing his distracted state Temari took the opportunity to make their order to the nearest waiter. “Can we please order the family-sized meat option and a pot of jasmine tea. Thank you so much,” she requests politely, bowing her head respectfully as they removed the menus and walked away.  
  
It was easy to forget her status until instances such as this; her overly polite register and instinctive formalities. All of which remained intact despite her harsh upbringing and the nature of her career. They came from different worlds and yet somehow, they were drawn together, time and time again. “That’s a lot of meat for two people,” he muses out loud without thinking his statement through, fingertips toying with the unlit cigarette on the table as he peered across at her.  
  
“What are you trying to say?” Temari remarks irritably, brows knitting together as she braids her arms under her chest and leans back in the booth. She knew he meant nothing by such a statement, but that didn’t make it any less vexing. “Excuse me if I’m famished after walking a great distance, only to discover that the primary purpose of the trip seems to be to have a blind date sprung on me!” she fires back hotly, eyes flickering dangerously; _Men are idiots.  
  
__That expression puts Ino to shame!_ Shikamaru smiles knowingly, his mind fixed on the later part of her statement; “I thought you said it wasn’t a date?” It never took much to get a rise out of her when she was already frustrated. _She’s beautiful when she gets all worked up.  
  
_“You’re frustrating,” She fights back simply, a smirk seizing her lips as she huffed and averted her gaze; _Even when he is annoying, he somehow manages to be charming._ “I am still waiting on your apology for that incident by the way,” she notes, her lips twisting into a frown. The irritating memory of discovering that he used her as a ‘test dummy’ for Naruto and Hinata’s wedding gift was perhaps one of the most embarrassing moments of her life. Was she a fool to believe what was unfolding was for her? _I am not going to sit here and dismiss what happened.  
  
_“Is that so?” he responds simply, grinning as his chin slipped back into his palm. _It’s different with her, comforting even despite the air of hostility present in her voice,_ he muses to himself, dark eyes softening as he watches her frown at him, clearly irritated but fighting the urge to simply enjoy his company.  
  
“Yes, it is,” she quips, her heart pounding erratically in her chest. Stormy eyes searching his handsome visage for any signs of remorse, desperate to gain the upper hand only for her to become increasingly flustered under his unwaveringly heated gaze. _Stop staring at me like that!  
  
_“Sorry for that misunderstanding, it wasn’t supposed to be a date that day. I can see why you might’ve thought that however,” Shikamaru replies simply straightening his back into an upright position as he spoke, a seriousness present in his voice as he spoke.  
  
Who was he to decline her an apology? His intentions were never to upset her after all, only to seek her assistance. _I guess I wasn’t as clear as I assumed I was._ “Oh and for the record, I would never ask you to go into an inn with me on the first date. Unless you suggested it,” he teases, raising his brows mischievously.  
  
_He didn’t need to be specific! Oh god, that was mortifying,_ the sand-nin notes silently, eyes rolling playfully as her shoulders relax. “That was an awful apology. Perhaps the worst I’ve received and Kakuro once bought me women’s sanitary items in an effort to ‘apologise’ once because he figured that it was my time of the month,” she states nonchalantly; “But I appreciate the sentiment.” _Just don’t hold your breath for me to invite you to an inn anytime soon.  
  
__That’s just like poking a wild beast. It reminds me of something Naruto would do to Sakura,_ he muses as he laughed out loud; _I’m surprised he’s still alive and kicking after pulling that stunt._ “Hey, I tried. The sentiment is there like you said,” Shikamaru replies, amusement clinging to his voice as he smiled wholesomely back at the blonde; “Besides, you didn’t ask many questions back then.”  
  
“That’s beside the point!” she fires back hotly, crossing her legs under the table as she glares back at him. “So while you are at it, why have I been waiting months for you to follow up on our date?” she enquires, her voice tense as she looked back at him expectantly.  
  
She wasn’t sure what she wanted to hear at this point. The truth was likely to be as painful as the hundreds of scenarios she had thought up in her mind. Did he chicken out due to her status like her previous love interests over the years? Surely he had more of a backbone than to simply surrender to fear, especially due to something as frivolous as social class differences.  
  
_Anything I say at this point is going to sound like an excuse._ _Even the truth sounds lame_ , Shikamaru groans internally. It was inevitable for this topic to come up. If she hadn’t raised it, he probably would’ve had to at some point in order to clear the air. After all, his reasoning wasn’t due to a lack of interest in pursuing her.  
  
“You never sought me out when you knew I was here, or even when you came to Suna two months back,” Temari continues, her voice strained and full of frustration. _I didn’t want to chase you up, that would’ve been mortifying if you weren’t interested in pursuing this._ A hand slides across the table as she poured herself a glass of water, relaxing her shoulders as she slid the glass closer.  
  
_It hurt more and more each time we were in close proximity. I tried to permit myself to hope that you might come knocking on my door, but nothing came of it,_ she notes to herself as she lifted the glass to her lips, sipping it’s cool contents gracefully for a moment before placing it back on the table and meeting his gaze dead on. “I just need to know, is it a joke to you? Because it wasn’t for me. It still isn’t,” she explains softly, her gaze fixed squarely at her half-empty glass of water in an attempt to prevent her emotions from getting the best of her.  
  
Sighing heavily, Shikamaru leans forward on the table, his cheeks slightly flushed as he pouted. “Look, I found myself at your door a few times but turned and left,” he confesses, heat rushing to his head as he felt his chest tighten. “I don’t know the first thing about this kind of stuff. I didn’t know if you still wanted to proceed with our plans after what happened, so I kept putting it off,” he continues, a hand rubbing his face roughly as he tried to fight off the embarrassment that was threatening to consume him. _I figured you might’ve lost interest entirely after the inn debacle. You couldn’t even face me on the way back to the village after that let alone speak to me.  
  
_“For a genius, you sure do act like a dunce at times,” Temari states with a sigh, perhaps her reaction to the series of events that unfolded didn’t send the right message. She wasn’t a violent person, but at times she couldn’t help but express herself in a physical sense. It was fair for him to be confused by such a response, though she would never admit to such a thing. “I never took you to be a worrywart in addition to being a crybaby,” she taunts playfully in an attempt to lighten the mood.  
  
_I need to rectify this. I don’t want her to walk away from this thinking I wasn’t serious,_ Shikamaru muses as he slides out of his seat. A sigh tumbles from his lips as he slips his left hand into his trouser pocket, proceeding to extend his right hand in her direction.  
  
“Give me your hand,” he requests boldly, eyeing the blonde as she tenses; shock washing over her, cheeks flushing instantly. It was forward of him, but one of them had to be. Neither of them would have the patience to withstand the awkward ins and outs of courtship, especially given the lengthy periods of time between each encounter.  
  
Teal eyes stare across at his calloused hand flabbergasted by his sudden request. It felt like a dream, an embarrassing one at that, and yet the dysfunctional chatter of the restaurant served to cancel out that possibility. “W-Why?” Temari stutters, her throat tightening as her eyes trail up to his kind observant eyes as he stares down at her, analysing ever every expression knowingly.  
  
“Because I want to hold it, do I need another reason?” he retorts firmly, his expression unphased by her hesitation. It was expected. This wasn’t a romance novel, there was always a chance or rejection and failure. But in this instance his success rate was calculated at least seventy percent, it was worth the risk. What is the worst that could happen? Mockery? Rejection? The reward outweighed such frivolous concerns.  
  
_What is going on? My head is spinning!_ Temari’s mind cries out, her hand lifting from the table and slipping into his grasp; his warmth enveloping it in an instant. Hand growing clammy, she squeezes her eyes shut for a moment. _This is so embarrassing!_ The chatter of the restaurant growing as countless onlookers watch on keenly.  
  
Shikamaru responds softly as he tugs her out of her seat, proceeding to lead her out of the restaurant, past the entrance. “We are just stepping out for a minute,” he explains to the concierge before leading her outside into the night air and down the quiet side street beside the restaurant. Swallowing hard he loosens his grip on her hand, eyes pressing shut for a moment as he attempted to straighten his thoughts before turning to face her.  
  
“What did you need to say that couldn’t be said inside?” she enquires, her right-hand tracing down her arm as she shifts unsurely.  
  
Everything about the evening thus far was frightfully embarrassing. From being set up on a blind date through to being led out of the restaurant by him, the one person who made her heartbeat more erratic than she ever imagined was possible. Never before had she experienced such a wide array of complex emotions. Yet despite the frustration in recent months, just gazing upon his face and hearing his smooth voice lent her to hope in a brighter future.  
  
He knew it was coming, that inquisitively critical nature of hers that never wavered. A true equal to his overactive mind. “I didn’t want anyone to overhear,” the jonin responds simply, a hand slipping behind his neck, rubbing it awkwardly as he spoke; “I refuse to say this again, so listen carefully.”  
  
It was an embarrassing topic to discuss. If he had his way, things would remain unspoken with the other party simply picking up on his intentions; his feelings for her. But Temari was not that type of woman, everything in her world was black or white. Grey did not exist, and if it did it wasn’t for long.  
  
“Overhear what?” Temari urges, voice wavering as her fingers wrapped around her left wrist. Such statements rolling from his lips so carelessly threw her off. He wasn’t one to engage in pointless discourse, nor was he the type to act so bashfully in her presence.  
  
Had her earlier words stricken a chord, or had they turned him off entirely? She needed to know. Her mind was the epitome of a battlefield at its climax. Bombs detonating in every direction, each dangerous event demanding her attention just as another goes off leaving her weary and overwhelmed.  
  
Exhaling heavily the strategist’s hand slips from the nape of his neck, eyes locked on the beautiful yet lethal woman before him. Standing there, frightfully unaware of the power that only she held over him. “You’re troublesome, perhaps one of the most troublesome women I’ve met,” he states with a lopsided grin.  
  
“If you’re just picking a fight –” Temari interjects, eyes narrowing as she clenched her fists tightly at her sides. _Seriously? All this just to insult me?  
  
_Shikamaru waves his hands between them defensively. “No. I want to explore whatever it is between us,” he responds, his voice firm with resolve; “Talking about this sort of thing isn’t one of my strengths. So bear with me.”  
  
“You do?” Temari whispers, her throat tightening as she spoke. Taking a deep breath she relaxes her shoulders, eyes softening as she stared up at him in silence. How did she ever question it? That look in his eyes that mirrored her own when he came to mind. Shifting nervously the blonde lowers her gaze, fingertips anxiously grazing past one another as they entwined before her; “I want to also, but the distance will make it difficult.”  
  
Shikamaru closes the space between them, his hands slipping up to her cheeks; thumbs tracing across her supple skin. There was some comfort in knowing she wanted to move forward despite his prior transgressions. “It isn’t ideal,” he murmurs at last, hands growing hot as they trace across her flushed cheeks. _But we won’t know unless we give it a shot.  
  
_Heart racing Temari’s eyes widen as she squirms under his touch, nerves gripping her tight. “I want to try,” the blonde responds softly as she slips free, an instant wave of relief washing over her as she reclaimed a smidgen of control. “I just need one last thing,” she announces as she proceeds to slip past him, stormy eyes fixed on the entrance to the restaurant for a moment before gazing up at the stars.  
  
“What’s that?” Shikamaru asks absentmindedly, proceeding to pinch a cigarette between his lips, lighting it promptly and inhaling at long last. Shoulders slacken as his gaze drifts over his shoulder to the gorgeous blonde a few steps away from him, her back facing him as she stood there silently gazing up at the night sky.  
  
Temari gazes back over her shoulder, a sincere smile gripping her lips for a moment before she proceeds to stride up to him; hands growing clammy as she peers up at him. “A kiss,” she whispers in response, grabbing him by his vest, tugging him closer as her lips pressed up against his.  
  
The taste of tobacco clouds her senses in an instant as heat rushes to her head; his body curves around her, his arms wrapping around the small of her back hugging her closer. She’d be damned if she walked away from this without making her interests plain as day.  
  
A shiver of delight rushes down the strategist’s spine, ecstasy washing over him as the sand-nin boldly seizes his lips. He flicks his cigarette, the tubular object hitting the dirt in an instant as he tugged her closer, deepening the kiss for a brief moment before she pulled back with a triumphant cheesy smile plastered across her face. Everything about her left him in awe. She was addictive, butt out your cigarette addictive. He wanted more, no he needed more.  
  
“Next time, you have permission to refer to it as a date crybaby,” she announces boldly, her stormy eyes glimmering with excitement as she turns to walk back to the restaurant; “Also, you won’t earn a kiss so easily. Just for the record.”  
  
Shikamaru snickers, a kind smile consuming his features as he tilted his head in amusement. “I look forward to it,” he responds calmly, eyes transfixed by the godly creature before him; __So much for not being interested in pushy women.  
  
She had ensnared his heart without really trying. There was no turning back, and he didn’t care to do so anyway.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed this one-shot! This story is quite different from my usual content, I also played around with my usual formatting so I hope it's okay!
> 
> As always thank you so much for your support and for taking the time to read my content. It means so much to me. If you enjoyed it, please be sure to leave a review as I’d love to hear your thoughts.
> 
> I have a few other ShikaTema & Naruto stories up on my account (with more to come). You can [click here](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/Naruto_Collection) to check them out if you're hungry for more content about this amazing ship. 
> 
> If you want to chat you can find me over on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/ImpureDumpling).


End file.
